Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Quick Movie Review

Deliver Us From Evil (2014, USA) | Rating: 2.5/5

Maybe I'm not remembering this correctly or something, but I was watching one of the many movie reviewers I follow and I believe they said that they enjoyed this movie. Originally, I had no interest in it as it just added to the boring possession movies that Hollywood keeps dishing out, but since they enjoyed I figured I'd check it out. They're pretty reliable. I might go back to that review and see if I'm remembering it correctly, because honestly, I lost interests on both attempts. First attempt, I fell asleep and second attempt, I was just bored...and I probably still dozed off. Eventually, I gave up trying to watch it and brought it back for the next person to view it. I guess it does offer a somewhat creative take on these inspired by documentary with a police officer.

Repentance (2014, USA) | Rating: 2.5/5

I noticed this movie was getting checked out quite often and one of my co-workers said that movie was good, but she didn't like the ending that much. I wasn't completely sure what this movie would be about, but one guess was that it might have some sort of religious tie in or something. In short, it was a revenge story with some little twists and turns here and there. I thought the story was kind of unique as it altered some typical aspects I normally would see in movies like this. There are some emotional conflicting moments when it comes to the main characters as there is a slight blur between who is right and wrong. Despite the little unique aspects of the film, overall it is a bit forgettable, but it definitely isn't a waste of time if you decide to watch it.

Anna (2014, USA) | Rating: 2.5/5

Plots dealing with a professional working with a mentally and/or emotionally disturbed patient tend to be hit or miss for me. Sometimes it can be quite silly like Case 39 or deeply intriguing like Identity. I believe this might fall a little closer to The Quiet Ones which is kinda interesting and entertaining, but nothing to get too excited about. I was tempted to avoid this movie for the simple fact that Taissa Farmiga is in it. I don't dislike her, but she can sometimes come off as rather bland or even borderline annoying and this is only basing it on her characters from American Horror Story and American Horror Story: Coven. She did have a little life as Anna, but Mark Strong made the movie interesting and slightly lasting on the mind. Honestly, Strong's character provoked more emotion from me than Farmiga's.

The Double (2013, UK) | Rating: 2.5/5

I don't really care for Jesse Eisenberg. He's like a slightly less annoying Michael Cera. Watching this movie was a slight challenge considering Eisenberg had to play two characters: one being his usual typecast awkward guy and the other being an arrogant, manipulative sleaze. The movie might be a little confusing because of the doppelganger aspect, especially toward the end. The story was indeed interesting, putting all negative bias aside. Eisenberg did a good job interacting and reacting to his other self, even if he is still annoying. If you do decide to watch this movie, it might take a couple tries to grasp everything that happened...especially the end, but don't be surprised if you end up a little frustrated with certain characters either.

God's Not Dead (2014, USA) | Rating: 3/5

Ah, another religious movie. Originally, I was supposed to watch this on my church's movie night, but everyone was tired and it was rather late for the elderly folk. So, I decided to check it out on my own since I've heard some pretty good things about it. The story was quite enjoyable and I enjoyed the conflict the protagonist had to face with his teacher. I think this movie represents Christians well while not bashing other religions to present it in a good light. One problem I had were the side stories that tied into the main plot as they seemed a bit unnecessary during majority of the movie until the final act. A couple actors seemed a bit inauthentic at times such as Josh's girlfriend, but her purpose of being a bit of the unlikable Christian was successful. I couldn't understand why most of the cast were jerks, but I guess you need some jerks to propel the movie forward. Ignore the comments on IMDb and go with your own feelings on whether you want to see this movie or not.

If there's something you want me to review (or want a more in depth review of the movies above or previous ones), check out this post on how you can submit requests.